Jupiter Olympus: Cocktails from the Crypt

By Lou Bustamante Thu., Oct. 27 2011 at 3:45 PM

Categories: Cocktails & Spirits

Lou Bustamante

A selection of drinks from the last Jupiter Olympus

Where: Acme Bar, 2115 San Pablo (at Addison), Berkeley, (510) 644-2226

When: Sun., Oct. 30, 8 p.m.-2 a.m.

Cost: $10 per cocktail; 21 and over

The rundown: Jupiter Olympus, the innovative cocktail pop-up project by barmen Morgan Schick (NOPA, Michael Mina, Clock Bar) and Eric Quilty (Adesso) returns to Acme Bar in Berkeley this weekend for a Halloween edition. The drink list includes a butternut squash and rum punch (free at the event, by the way), a corn whiskey cocktail with candy corn, and a drink chilled with dry ice -- you know you need a bubbling cocktail. These drinks are so spooky that they'll scare the sober right out of you.

Lou Bustamante

Making a Bunson cocktail

With some impressively complex and unique concoctions at the inaugural night, the cocktails were as much fun to drink as they were to watch being made. The most dramatic: the Bunson (St. George Botanivore Gin, lime-infused Dolin Blanc, vaporized tonic, served up), where the tonic came in smoke form. Herbs and spices typical to tonic water were burned, and the smoldering curls of haze was captured and then allowed to settle on the drink--dramatic, smoky, and lightly herbaceous version of a classic gin martini.

Costumes are encouraged, and so is sharing with friends to maximize tasting through the menu.

Crypt-Keeper's Punch (Rum Zacapa, Batavia Arrack, butternut squash, pear, lime, earl grey, celery bitters)

The Evil Queen (Hudson Manhattan Rye, Green Chartreuse, apple gastrique, served up)

Hairy-Handed Gent (FAIR Quinoa Vodka, grapefruit-infused Manzanilla sherry, cinnamon tincture, elderberries, stirred over dry ice and served up)

Day of the Living Dead (Espolon Tequila, Latvian Bitters, orange bell pepper, honey, mandarin, meyer lemon, served over crushed ice)

I Never Drink...Wine (Sheep Dip Scotch, beet gomme, Pedro Ximenez sherry, rosemary, served up)

Orange Lightning (Original Moonshine Corn Whiskey, candy corn, Aquavit, sage, served on ice)

Lou Bustamante tweets at @thevillagedrunk. Follow SFoodie at @sfoodie, and like us on Facebook.